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Fitness and Diet Questions Answered

imsuperman

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Perfection Apprentice

Perfection

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i have read conflicting opinions on when to do cardio for maximum benefit. i have read things where they suggest not to do cardio before or after lifting, because according to those experts, it sort of kills the work you just put in while lifting. and i have also read opinions where it is recommended to do cardio before lifting and some suggest doing it after lifting.

 

i normally try to do it 3 times a week, but on a completely different time than when i lift. hours apart.

 

what do you think?

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imsuperman Grand Master

imsuperman

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Cool!

 

I have a quick question - what are a couple of good exercises for your hips? Besides lowering body fat, I wanna tone up my little muffin top!

 

As diabolik noted, you cannot spot reduce. Your diet will dictate how much fat you lose. However two great exercises for this area of your body are squats and lunges. Please make sure to have a trainer nearby if you've never done barbell squats before. They are a pretty dangerous exercise but the benefits are great once you learn to perform them correctly.

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imsuperman Grand Master

imsuperman

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i have read conflicting opinions on when to do cardio for maximum benefit. i have read things where they suggest not to do cardio before or after lifting, because according to those experts, it sort of kills the work you just put in while lifting. and i have also read opinions where it is recommended to do cardio before lifting and some suggest doing it after lifting.

 

i normally try to do it 3 times a week, but on a completely different time than when i lift. hours apart.

 

what do you think?

 

Oh yes, excellent question. Much has been made of this debate. My personal preference is to do what you're doing now. Either spread them out on the same day or do them on different days if your schedule allows.

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imsuperman Grand Master

imsuperman

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Does light beer make as much sense as "diet" soda?

 

Well, no not really. Light beers still usually have around 80-120 calories from what I've seen. Most diet sodas have none. So if you're counting calories, I'd be careful about how many "light" beers you're drinking. If it's 1 or 2 that's prbably not too bad because the beers have fewer carbs.

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imsuperman Grand Master

imsuperman

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What is the best type of work out to lose those "stubborn 5 or 10 lbs", cardio, lifting or a mixture of both? I enjoy cardio but am a bit intimidated by lifting...

 

PLEASE DO BOTH. Before I started my lifting in January 07, I too was intimidated. I thought I would just look like an idiot in the weight room because I had no idea what to do.

 

I would ask around at the gym to see if they have any free training orientations to get you going on the weights. Or ask some friends if they lift. It will be hard at first and you'll be sore for a short while. Lift 1-2 exercises per body part three times a week for a month for the whole body. You will see and probably feel a noticeable change in your physique. This is due to the fact that your body is shocked and your muscles have been suddenly forced to react to your lifting. After a month, you'll want to do maybe 2 muscles a week three times a week, but maybe 2-3 different exercises.

 

I change my routine monthly to shock my muscles constantly. I also try to consume protein every 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day to feed my muscles. If you're trying to lose weight, try to stick with lean proteins. Buy some shakes or powder and try to mainly eat white meats.

 

A glass of milk and/or some cottage cheese before bed is great for feeding your muscles while you sleep. Both contain "slow-release" casein proteins which are used in your body over a period of 2-7 hrs.

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diabolik Contributor

diabolik

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What is the best type of work out to lose those "stubborn 5 or 10 lbs", cardio, lifting or a mixture of both? I enjoy cardio but am a bit intimidated by lifting...

On average, the women with the best figures in my gym are the ones who regularly hit the weights. And not one of them looks "bulky" or "overly muscular" - that simply does not happen to the vast majority of women (>99%) without pharmaceutical help.

 

Don't be intimidated - on average, women have much better lifting technique than men. Learn proper form (lots of books, online resources, or hire a knowledgeable trainer) and start lifting, and you'll cringe at the form many guys employ for the sake of lifting heavier weights.

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imsuperman Grand Master

imsuperman

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Am I a loser for using the machines? Do serious workouters only use freeweights? Are all the other guys at the gym secretly laughing at me?

 

If you are ONLY using machines I'd say it's time to try the free-weights. Try the bench press, squat, deadlifts, and rows. You're not a loser, you just need to EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS, lol.

 

As I mentioned before, it is best for you to ask a trainer for the proper technique on these exercises since they can be dangerous if done incorrectly. I know it can be somewhat embarrassing to have someone standing over you helping you out, but remember you'll look much better there than you will squished under the barbell or in the hospital. Also, try VERY low weight to start out with. There's no real carryover from the weight you were doing on the cable machines to these movements.

 

After a month of doing the above-mentioned exercises, I would switch it up from the barbell to the dumbbells (all except squat, keep doing barbell on that one.) Dumbbells will make you do less weight because you're using you stabilizer muscles more.

 

These type of compound movements so named because they work more than one muscle, always build muscle fastest. They are work. And maybe you're like me (I work at a YMCA) and you don't see too many people doing barbell deadlifts or t-bar rows. If this is the case, remember some people will be staring at you, but they are looks of curiosity and admiration. I've gotten used to people's eyes being on me when I perform certain exercises, and even though I don't like it, PLEASE don't let it bother you.

 

You'll end up being in the upper tier strength-wise if you keep at it and try out some of the diet tips I've mentioned.

 

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Please let me hear more of your diet and exercise questions guys and girls!

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SherryM Rookie

SherryM

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I honestly don't feel confident wearing short skirts or even thinking of hitting the beach wearing a bikini because of my thighs. I have a decent weight but my thighs don't appear tight, you know? I dont want skinny thighs, I want the same size but totally fit.

 

My question is, what workouts should I do and for how many months until I see a visible difference?

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imsuperman Grand Master

imsuperman

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I honestly don't feel confident wearing short skirts or even thinking of hitting the beach wearing a bikini because of my thighs. I have a decent weight but my thighs don't appear tight, you know? I dont want skinny thighs, I want the same size but totally fit.

 

My question is, what workouts should I do and for how many months until I see a visible difference?

 

My response from page 1 to this question:

As diabolik noted, you cannot spot reduce. Your diet will dictate how much fat you lose. However two great exercises for this area of your body are squats and lunges. Please make sure to have a trainer nearby if you've never done barbell squats before. They are a pretty dangerous exercise but the benefits are great once you learn to perform them correctly.

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Just remember, the exercises will help, but it's mostly in your diet. Try to consume protein in some form about every 3 hrs to feed your muscles. I can't really tell you how long your results will take because everyone is different. I will tell you to up your weights often though. If you can perform more than 12 reps of anything at a time, you may need a slightly heavier weight. Dumbbells are more difficult to increase weight on because they usually go up 5lbs at a time and you usually use two, so you may want to add an extra set if you're doing dumbbells in loo of adding 10 extra pounds.

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diabolik Contributor

diabolik

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+1 to imsuperman's advice.

 

Many women who are not "overweight" for their height and frame are nonetheless unhappy with their figure. Usually, the best solution here is to add muscle and eat right. Your overall weight may not change, but you will have gained muscle, lost fat and look a lot better (or "tighter" to use Sherry's description).

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Lowconfidence Collaborator

Lowconfidence

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Do you notice how more and more guys are taking illegal supplements like HGH or some form of steroids in the gym?

 

I cannot believe some of the builds I seen on the guys at my gym or walking around in public. Usually the builds I admire in the gym belong to guys who don't do cardio, but have great tone and muscularity.

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